Improvement in processes for producing multicolored designs on wire-cloth



UNITE j STATES PA'rmv m'ricn;

.GUSTAV n. HOFFMAN, or CHICAGO, ILLlNOlS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING MULTIQOLORED DESIGNS ONWIRECLOTIH. i

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 169,640, datedNovember 9, 1875; application filed May 7,1873. p 7

To all whom it may concern: 7 Q a Be it known that I, GUSTAV R. HOFFMAN,of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented aProcess for Paintsuitable metal plates, of proper thickness, in

number sufficient for the design, are selected. These plates areperforated with apertures representing the various colors and shades inthe design, placing one or more colors in each plate, as may be mostadvantageous, to complete the design with the least number of plates.Thewire screen to be decorated is then stretched on a suitable frame orstretcher and placed on a bench or table, the surface of which is soconstructed as to form a filling for this frame, presenting thus a levelsurface for the wirecloth to rest on preparatory to the stencil beingapplied thereon. All these above-described parts being so provided, theyare placed in register. That portion of the wire-cloth im-' mediatelyunder and in register with the brilliant or light colors represented inthe design is now coated with white, or any shade lighter in color thanthat .of the original wire-cloth, and allowed to dry. It will be seenthat this forms a base for the brilliant or light colors in the design,and is only then required when the original color of the wirecloth ismore or less dark, which is nearlyalways the case. The object of thislight base color for the brilliant and light colors in the design isthis, viz: In order to complete the design while all the colors are yetmoist, as will be explained hereafter, the succeeding stencils must beapplied before the colors of the prior ones are dry,thereby causing aportion of this newly-put-on paint to be removed from the extreme uppersurface of the wire by contact with any of the subse-.

quent stencil-plates, and thus expose the original color of thewire-cloth, and this, being dark, would cause the two colors-thebrilliant and that of the wire-cloth-to intermingle and make thebrilliant colors look dull; but, as the original color of the wire-clothis changed to white, or any color or shade harmonizing with thesesocalled brilliant colors, none of their luster is lost, but, on thecontrary, they are improved thereby. On the finer qualities ofwire-cloth screening, the meshes of which are very small, this basecolor cannot be applied with a brush, for the brush does not onlydeposit the color on the upper surface of the wires, but also on thesides thereof. Now, as this color is left to dry-instead of beingexpunged, as is the casein all the other instances, when supplanted byanother color-this, besides a coat of varnish, applied when the designis completed, would be very apt to clog up the meshes, and therebydetract from the value for the purpose it is intended. Now, to obviatethis, a stencil-plate containing apertures representing this base coloris etched with nitric acid, as is customary with lithographers intreating lithographic stones, and the color prepared for this purpose,and technically termed f ink, is then applied by means of a rollersimilar to those used by lithographers. This roller will not permit theink to penetrate the meshes of the cloth, but will deposit it only onthe extreme surface, and just where it is wanted, and the stencil-plate.being treated as above described, will, on being wet, repel the ink.Thus, while depositing the ink through the apertures on the wire-cloth,it leaves the stencil-plate perfectly clean. The base color being dry,the first stencil-plate of the series is now placed on the wire-cloth,and in register. Suitable color or colors are then applied through theapertures. This stencil-plate being replaced by the second one, thecolor or colors of the one just removed, which may necessarily appearthrough its (the second ones) apertures, is expunged, leaving again theoriginal color of the wire-cloth, and a dry surface to apply the colorsthrough the apertures of this stencil-plate, The same process isrepeated with each successive stencil-plate, through the entire seriesthereof, until the design is completed.

When the apertures in the stencil-plates come in such close proximity asto cause one color to infringe on one or more of the others while thecolors are yet moist-I am enabled to blend different shades in themanner practiced by artists. thus producing an artistic effectimpossible by the use of stencils as here- "tofore employed.

When dry, a coat of varnish may be given or-not, as preferred.

By means of a mat (so termed by photographers) being placed over and inregister with the stencil-plates, the picture or design may be made toassume various sizes and shapes.

What I claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

The process for producing multicolored designs on wire-cloth, consistingessentially of first coating the wire-cloth through a stencilplate. bymeans of a roller, with white, which is allowed to dry, and thenapplying colors upon the whitened surface through successivestencil-plates, each plate being used before the previously-appliedcolor is dry, that portion of the moist color exposed through eachsucceeding plate being expunged before'the new color is used,substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

, GUSTAV R. HOFFMAN. Witnesses:

WM. H. Locrz,

WM. ZIMMERMAN.

